Theater Review: Huntington's 'Jungle Book' is irresistible

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of “The Jungle Book" is so full of creativity, playfulness and life, it’s irresistible.

By David Brooks Andrews/CORRESPONDENT

Milford Daily News

By David Brooks Andrews/CORRESPONDENT

Posted Sep. 19, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 19, 2013 at 7:21 PM

By David Brooks Andrews/CORRESPONDENT

Posted Sep. 19, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 19, 2013 at 7:21 PM

BOSTON

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The Huntington Theatre Company’s charming version of “The Jungle Book” is so full of creativity, playfulness and life, it’s irresistible.

Based on Rudyard Kipling’s stories and Walt Disney’s 1967 animated film, and under the direction and pen of Mary Zimmerman, it’s a true family production that should be as appealing to adults with any fond memories of being a child as it will be to children.

The musical has the Boston University stage hopping with the sounds of American jazz, swing and a barbershop quartet, deftly woven with haunting East Indian music. The story is of the man cub Mowgli, who was raised by wolves, as he resists being returned to the man village.

Mowgli is watched over by the wise, responsible panther Bagheera, befriended by the loveable but ineffectual bear Baloo, and hunted by the sinister tiger Shere Khan, who promises to make a meal of the boy.

The show begins with a young boy reading a book in a Victorian parlor when a peacock (Nikka Graff Lanzarone on stilts hidden beneath her costume and sporting a long peacock tail) appears and takes the boy off into the Indian jungle.

The boy becomes Mowgli, whom he’s presumably reading about. First represented by a doll, he’s discovered by a pack of wolves, wearing caps with wolf ears and long coats with fur collars. They debate whether to eat or raise him. With the insistence of the panther Bagheera (Usman Ally) and a passionate mother wolf, they decide to raise him.

The opening of the show seems a little slow and doesn’t prepare you for how lively it will soon become. It takes off when Mowgli (played by Akash Chopra on opening night, alternating with Roni Akurati) discovers a troop of elephants, who, like all the animals in the show, are anthropomorphized. The elephants act as marching soldiers, under the leadership of the dimwitted Colonel Hathi (Ed Kross). They wear elephant ears and jackets, some with the bright red of British Army uniforms and others with colorful Indian patterns.

One of the most appealing characters is Baloo (Kevin Carolan), the bear, who at first seems like he could be dangerous but turns out to love Mowgli, while not being very responsible about caring for him. He starts by teaching Mowgli to growl and swing his arms like a bear, and Mowgli soon is tickling him. The stage rocks when a trumpeter is lowered in a large glass case and is joined by a trombonist, saxophonist, and clarinetist, all in red tunics with white pants. Baloo sings a couple of terrific songs, “The Bare Necessities” and “Baloo’s Blues.”

Just before the closing of the first act, the energy peaks with a pack of monkeys, led by the hipster King Louie (Andre De Shields) with long dreadlocks, out of which he pulls a hidden banana. The monkeys try to make Mowgli give up the secret of the red flower (fire), which he doesn’t know, but which they hope to use to dominate the jungle. This scene has a terrific trumpeter in it, but becomes overly raucous, almost as if it were a food fight, which no doubt will please young kids.

Page 2 of 2 - Kaa, the snake (Cambridge actor Thomas Derrah), is most sinister as he tries to hypnotize Mowgli by getting him to look into his eyes. At times, we see the full body of the snake with Derrah manipulating his head and another actor his tail. But in one visually inventive scene, a line of actors using hand held balloons create the impression of an undulating snake.

Among other treats, the second act offers a fabulous tap dancing scene and a very creative ending, though the final battle, which takes place at night, could use a little more light so we can catch more of the details.

Chopra as Mowgli does a great job of acting like a kid who’s having the time of his life in the jungle, playing with the friendly animals and oblivious to the dangers of the others.

Daniel Ostling’s set consists of large sliding panels featuring red flowers. Part of the show’s magic is created by a three-sided Indian couch and a large glass case by which some characters and musicians are lowered from the flies.

But a lot of the show’s irresistible magic comes from its blending of cultures, music, costumes, and animals with men — and the way the blending’s done by Mary Zimmerman with such a delicate and gorgeous touch.